US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Democrats for prolonging the ongoing government shutdown, asserting that the stalemate gives him leverage to permanently eliminate what he called Democratic “welfare programs.”

“The Democrats are kamikazes right now. They're kamikaze pilots right now. They have nothing going. They have no future,” Trump said during an exclusive interview with Fox News.

“They didn't realize that that gives me the right to cut programs that Republicans never wanted — you know, giveaways, welfare programs,” he said. “And we’re doing that. We’re cutting them permanently.”

According to the Trump administration, shutdown rules allow the freezing or suspension of certain federal programs and projects. Also Read | Millions could go hungry by Thanksgiving as US

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